


Pern Songs

by BrendaA



Category: Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-21
Updated: 2014-03-05
Packaged: 2018-01-10 04:17:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 1,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1154842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrendaA/pseuds/BrendaA
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After I'd been reading the Pern books for a while, I started coming up with tunes for some of the songs. Just like Menolly, I couldn't stop! I even ended up writing additional verses to some of the shorter ones! In January 2010 I went on a trip to Ireland and was able to visit Anne McCaffrey. The conversation was a little awkward, but before I left I asked to sing her my version of the Question Song, and it was really amazing. I also sang my version of the Fire Lizard song. My mom was with me, and she said it was spooky seeing the connection between two artists... I am so glad I was able to do that. I hope you enjoy my tunes as well!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Question Song

The song that started it all... See below for links.

Here is a link in case the image doesn't show: [QuestionSong.jpg](http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a193/beappleby/Pern%20Music/QuestionSong.jpg)

Here is a video of me singing it! <http://youtu.be/Vvgq9MTmR5Q>


	2. Fire Lizard Song

Menolly's most famous song! See below for links.

 

Here is a link in case the image doesn't show: [FireLizardSong.jpg](http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a193/beappleby/Pern%20Music/FireLizardSong.jpg)

Here is a video of me singing it! <http://youtu.be/OfYoN4hzqGw>


	3. Gather Song

This is from _Dragonsinger_. I did make one small change in the lyrics: it now says "Stalls are built, the square **is** clear", instead of "The square's swept clear", which I don't believe it would be physically possible to sing! See below for links.

 

Here is a link in case the image doesn't work: [GatherSong.jpg](http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a193/beappleby/Pern%20Music/GatherSong.jpg)

Here is a video of me singing it! <http://youtu.be/HnJCcsRdVo4>

 


	4. Menolly's "Song for Petiron"

See below for links.

Here is a link in case the image doesn't show: [SongforPetiron.jpg](http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a193/beappleby/Pern%20Music/SongforPetiron.jpg)

Here is a video of me singing it! <http://youtu.be/INYw03EVPJo>

 

 


	5. My White-Winged Craft

Look below for links.

Here is a link in case the image doesn't show: [My White-Winged Craft](http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a193/beappleby/Pern%20Music/MyWhiteWingedCraft.jpg)

Here is a video of me singing it! [My White-Winged Craft video](http://youtu.be/RYefyYP2AbQ)


	6. Eastern Sea Hold Song

Menolly sings one chorus of this song in _Dragonsinger_. One of the chapter headings gives a verse and a different version of the chorus. I wrote one more verse to tie it together. The first verse is mine; all other lyrics are by Anne McCaffrey.

 

_My heart broke long ago_  
 _A love for which I grieve_  
 _But now the sea's my only love_  
 _The only one I need_  
  
 _Oh wide sea, oh sweet sea_  
 _Forever be my lover_  
 _Fare me on your gentle wave_  
 _Your wide bed over._  
  
 _The fickle wind's my foe_  
 _With tide his keen ally_  
 _They're jealous of my sea's love_  
 _And rouse her with their lie_  
  
 _Oh sweet sea, oh dear sea_  
 _Heed not their stormy wiles_  
 _But bear me safely to my hold_  
 _And from their watery trials._

Here's the music! Look below for links.

Here's a link in case the image doesn't work: [Eastern Sea Hold Song](http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a193/beappleby/Pern%20Music/EasternSeaHoldSong.jpg)

Here is a video of me singing it! [Eastern Sea Hold Song video](http://youtu.be/33l4ZEFJSnQ)


	7. Harper, Tell

  
This came from another short verse that served as a chapter heading in _Dragonsinger._ Unlike the "Eastern Sea Hold Song", where I added just a few lines, I found myself writing four full verses to expand the original!  
  
The first verse is by Anne McCaffrey; the rest is mine.

 

_Harper, tell me of the road_   
_That leads beyond this Hold_   
_That wends its way beyond the hill_   
_Does it go further on until_   
_It ends in sunset’s gold?_   
  
_Harper, you sing of dragons brave_   
_And sky-borne Threads of fear_   
_A constant battle in the sky_   
_Would it be safe enough that I_   
_Could run away from here?_   
  
_Harper, I would travel far_   
_When one day I am grown_   
_And sail a boat upon the wind_   
_To places I have never been_   
_Learn things I had not known._   
  
_Harper, tell me of the world_   
_Through which I long to roam_   
_Think you I’d find adventure there_   
_Or that I’d only find despair_   
_Return in sorrow home?_   
  
_Harper, sing a song of hope_   
_For dreamers such as I_   
_Who long to travel far and wide_   
_And hope that we might one day ride_   
_On dragons in the sky._

 

Here's a link in case the image doesn't work: [Harper, Tell](http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a193/beappleby/Pern%20Music/HarperTell.jpg)

Here's a video of me singing it! [Harper, Tell video](http://youtu.be/F3SxbhLJ5Ew)

 


	8. Brekke's Lament

 

Here I wrote more verses to the song Menolly writes in _Dragonsinger_ about Brekke's "cry in the night". The snippets we see seem to describe the event from Brekke's point of view, so that was the direction I took as well. In hindsight, that doesn't quite fit into the canon, because a lot of what I wrote comes from high-level scenes in _Dragonquest_ , whereas Menolly doesn't know more than the bare bones of the event - and her own experience of the fire lizards' reaction. Still, I don't want to leave it out of this collection!  
  
The first two verses are by Anne McCaffrey; the rest are mine.  
  
  
Don’t leave me alone!  
The cry in the night  
Of anguish heart-striking  
Of soul-killing fright  
  
Oh live for my living  
Or else I must die  
Don’t leave me alone!  
A world heard that cry.  
  
The secret of Thread  
Lay on the Red Star  
They thought we should burn it  
But none knew how far.  
  
You shouldn’t have gone, love  
The risk was too great  
But the chance to end Thread -  
Too precious to waste.  
  
 An image of clouds  
Seen dim in the lens  
The long jump, not knowing  
You’d come out again  
  
Sucked into a whirlwind  
Sand-scoured and torn  
I heard when you screamed –  
The Weyr must be warned!  
  
My voice pulled you back  
I’ll never know why  
We thought you were dead  
When you fell from the sky.  
  
The dragons all flew  
And created a path  
You landed at last  
Brave F’nor, noble Canth.  
  
Every dragon and wher  
Every fire-lizard too  
Saw what you had seen  
And heard my cry to you.  
  
Through fire-lizard eyes  
A hard truth was learned  
We shall always fight Thread  
But only on Pern. 

 

Here are links in case the images don't work: [Brekke's Lament 1](http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a193/beappleby/Pern%20Music/BrekkesLament1.jpg)  
                                                                      [Brekke's Lament 2](http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a193/beappleby/Pern%20Music/BrekkesLament2.jpg)  
  
Here is a video of me singing it! [Brekke's Lament video](http://youtu.be/Iym7nFISIFU)

 


	9. Menolly's Song

I wrote this around "Menolly's Running Song" from _Dragonsong_ and _Dragonsinger_ , which is the bolded verse in the middle. I don't have a tune as of yet.

 

I left the seahold and I ran away  
For I wanted to live on my own  
Out by the rocks where the fire lizards play  
Was a cave I would make my home.  
  
The sky was still dark when I slipped out the door  
While everyone else was in bed  
I went to catch spiderclaws down by the shore  
Almost too late, I saw Thread!  
  
I ran to the cave and climbed in just in time  
The fire lizards all were humming  
The clutch I had saved was starting to hatch  
Even with Threadfall coming!  
  
The first one to hatch flew out into the Thread  
I couldn't just let them all die!  
I fed them the spiderclaws that I had caught  
Hoping they'd stay and not fly.  
  
The next morning most of the lizards had flown  
But nine little ones were still there  
The first ones I'd fed - though I hadn't known  
I had impressed my own fair!  
  
With nine little friends I was never alone   
Every day we'd explore  
I played on my pipes and they all sang along  
Then one day we went too far.  
  
I froze in my tracks when I first saw the Thread  
The cave was miles down the shore  
I tried to stay calm but I just lost my head  
And couldn't stand still anymore.  
  
 **Then my feet took off and my legs went too**  
 **So my body was obliged to follow**  
 **Me with my hands and my mouth full of cress**  
 **And my throat too dry to swallow.**  
  
The rocks were too far, I knew I'd never make it  
I'd surely be eaten by Thread  
I thought it was over, I felt the ground shake  
But a dragon had landed instead!  
  
I scrambled aboard and we leapt in the air  
Straight into the black of between  
Then out again over Benden Weyr  
With more dragons than I'd ever seen!  
  
We landed, but when I got to the ground  
The pain was too great, and I fell  
While running, I'd run the soles off my boots  
And the skin off my feet as well.  
  
In just a few days I was up and about  
Surprising them all with my fair!  
I'd arrived just in time to help out with the feast  
For the Hatching at Benden Weyr!  
  
Though a hatching can never be just commonplace,  
This one was momentous, in truth:  
For Brekke's recovery surpassed all hopes  
And Jaxom impressed white Ruth.  
  
That night at the feast I was startled to hear  
The harpers were playing my song!  
Then Master Robinton looked right at me -   
He'd known who I was all along!  
  
I went to the Harper Hall that very night  
Master Robinton asked me to stay.  
I never expected that I'd walk the tables  
In only a sevenday!  
  
Now I'm a journeyman harper of Pern  
My dearest dreams finally came true  
Running away didn't solve a thing  
That just speaking out wouldn't do.  
  
When you know what you want and you want what you love,  
Don't let anyone stand in your way.  
Make your own path and follow your heart  
And you're certain to find it one day.


	10. A Carol of Threadfall

This was written during a challenge one time, to write versions of holiday carols for Pern. I wrote this to the tune of "Jingle Bells" - but the tone changes quite a bit.  
  
  
This I started writing to the tune of "Jingle Bells"... but the story got away from me and I'm not sure that's the best tune.  
  
  
Dashing through the air,  
Returning from our sweep,  
Home to Benden Weyr,  
Can't wait to get some sleep!  
I feel my dragon hum  
At the thought of his great bed  
But suddenly he roars and flames  
At unexpected Thread! Oh!  
  
Flee the scene, go between, have to raise the Weyr!  
Thread is falling early, we must flame it in the air, Oh!  
Sound the call, time for Fall, get the firestone packed!  
Send the weyrlings out at once, I need another sack!  
  
The wings fly out in force  
Upon our urgent call  
We'll have to time, of course  
To make it to the Fall  
As flames rip through the air  
And Thread burns into ash  
We skip between to catch a clump  
Then back before we crash! Oh!  
  
Flee the scene, go between, missed it by a hair!  
Thread is falling early, we must flame it in the air, Oh!  
Sound the call, one and all, get that firestone packed!  
Send the weyrlings out at once, I need another sack!  
  
The holders down below  
Are fighting thread as well  
Flame throwers cast a glow  
Who's winning? Who can tell!  
The weyrlings come at last  
With heavy firestone packs  
I catch one as they fly above  
And dump my empty sacks! Oh!  
  
Flee the scene, go between, hurry! Over there!  
Thread is falling early, we must flame it in the air, Oh!  
Sound the call, one and all, get that firestone packed!  
Send the weyrlings out at once to fill those empty sacks!  
  
 _Slower_  
  
The threadfall finally ends  
We fly back to the Weyr  
And land beside our friends  
Who were wounded in the air  
A weyrling scored by Thread  
Lies by his loyal green  
She waits until he breathes his last  
Then dives into between  
  
 _Soft and mournful_  
  
Fled the scene, gone between, no more loads to bear  
Having done their duty, gave their lives up for the Weyr, oh,  
Sound the call, one and all, keen to bring them back  
You know it wasn't worth it just for one old firestone sack.  
  


 


End file.
